Chapter 75
Affiliation
REG. 75-1 RIGHT TO APPLY FOR AFFILIATION.
The right of every Master Mason in good standing to apply for membership in any regular lodge of his choice, wherever it may be located, shall be absolute. An application for affiliation may be received by a lodge regardless of the period or place of residence, whether in or outside of North Carolina, of the applicant at the time the application is filed, and not be subjected to a background check. [42-12; 68-7; 76-3.6].
1. The right shall not apply to one who is mentally incompetent. (This subsection amended, effective 1/1/2009)
2. The right shall not apply to one who is barred by any provision of THE CODE from obtaining a demit.
3. The right shall not apply to one who is under charges for unmasonic conduct.
4. The right shall not apply to one whose application for affiliation has been rejected within six months by any lodge. [39-2.5; 39-3; 39-9].
5. The right shall not apply to a person who presents a demit from a lodge under the jurisdiction of a grand lodge which this Grand Lodge does not recognize. Such a person must renounce his membership in his former lodge, Official Form 40, and then petition for the degrees only as a profane. [66-6; 87-1; 87-3].
The applicant shall comply with Chapter 51 as to avouchment. Should the lodge elect to membership one who presented an application for affiliation accompanied by any form of certificate under seal of a lodge, and thereafter on attending lodge he fails to pass a satisfactory examination, such lodge was negligent in electing him to membership before he was proven to be a Mason. He is not entitled to a sit in the lodge until he has been vouched for. [75-8].
REG. 75-3 METHODS OF AFFILIATION.
The following shall be the methods of affiliation:
1. By signing a petition for the formation of a new lodge, [Chapter 39]
2. By absolute demit, [Chapter 76]
3. By transfer of membership, maintaining continuous membership, and
4. By establishing plural membership in a North Carolina
lodge and a lodge in another Grand Jurisdiction.
REG. 75-4 MANNER OF APPLICATION.
An application for affiliation shall be
1. Made in writing on the form designated Official Form 18, which is hereby made a part of this regulation and shall not be substantively amended except in the same manner as any other part of THE CODE, [Official Form 18]
2. Be addressed to the lodge in which the applicant desires membership, and
3. Signed by the petitioner with his full name in his own handwriting.
REG. 75-5 Obsolete (This regulation amended, effective 1/1/2005)
REG. 75-6 NONAFFILIATED MASTER MASON.
The application for affiliation of a nonaffiliated Master Mason shall be accompanied by one of the following;
1. A demit or properly certified evidence of his demission from the lodge of which he was last a member, or
2. If the lodge of which he was last a member is defunct and his demit is lost, a certified record from the Grand Lodge having custody of the records of the lodge granting the demit. [49-4.5; 49-6; 76-8].
3. Where written evidence is not obtainable, other evidence may be accepted, but such other evidence shall not be deemed satisfactory until it shall have been submitted to the Grand Master and approved by him.
4. If the demit is from another grand jurisdiction, it must contain the certificate of the Grand Secretary of such jurisdiction under the seal of the Grand Lodge to the effect that the lodge granting it is, or was at the time, a regularly constituted lodge. [87-1].
REG. 75-7 BALLOT AND RECOMMENDERS.
The application of a Mason for affiliation shall be recommended and signed by at least two North Carolina members with at least one of whom is a member of the lodge to which the same is presented, and it shall require a unanimously favorable secret ballot to elect to membership. [74-2;Chapter 68]. (This regulation amended, effective 9/25/2004)
REG. 75-8 RECEIPT OF AN APPLICATION.
No application for affiliation shall be received except at a stated communication, and not then unless the applicant shall have satisfied the Master that he is a Master Mason by the methods required for visitation. [42-12; 45-3.4.C; 75-2; 75-9; 76-3.6; Chapter 51].
1. The Master without any action by the lodge shall refer it to a Committee of Investigation for investigation and report.
2. If an applicant for affiliation shall die or becomes mentally imcompetent before he is elected, no further action shall be taken except to note the fact in the minutes of the lodge, which action will end the proceedings. [59-2.12; 67-3.1; 68-2; 75-8; 75-11.1; 75-11.2; 75-11.3; 75-11.4; 75-11.5]. (This subsection amended, effective 1/1/2009)
3. An applicant for affiliation shall have the same moral qualifications as a petitioner for the degrees. [66-1.1; 66-1.4; 66-1.11; 66-1.12].
REG. 75-9 COMMITTEE OF INVESTIGATION.
A Committee of Investigation on an application for affiliation shall ascertain if the applicant is a Master Mason and is in good standing, or a Master Mason with a proper demit, before recommending favorable action on the applicant. [75-8].
1. Chapter 67, as far as it may apply, shall govern the appointment, duties, and report of the committee, and the procedure thereon except as to the physical qualifications and the territorial jurisdiction of the applicant.
2. The committee shall consider not only the moral qualifications of the applicant and the fact that he is a Master Mason but also the authenticity of his demit.
REG. 75-10 APPLICATION - GRAND SECRETARY.
When an application for affiliation is received by a lodge the Secretary shall, within five days after presenting to and reading same in open lodge, forward the original application and all documents supporting the same to the Grand Secretary who shall attach thereto such record and info rmation with respect to the petitioner as he may possess, and the Grand Secretary shall return the same with his record, within five days from its receipt by him, to the Secretary of the subordinate lodge. [59-12.19; Official Form 49].
When the report of the Committee of Investigation is filed, either favorable or unfavorable, the application shall be submitted to a secret ballot in all respects as provided in Chapter 68, as far as it can be made applicable to applications for affiliation. [68-3.15; 75-1.4].
1. No lodge shall ballot on any application for affiliation,
A. Until the report of the Grand Secretary and of the Committee of Investigation thereon has been received by it, and
B. Within twenty-eight days from the date it is received by the lodge.
2. A ballot taken in violation of Regulation 75-11.1
is illegal and void, and another ballot should be spread at a subsequent stated communication, but not until authorized by the Grand Master.
3. A new application is not required.
4. No ballot shall be taken on any applicant for affiliation within six months after he has been rejected in a regular lodge and then only on a new application.
5. The penalty for violation of this regulation shall be such as the Grand Master or the Grand Lodge may inflict. [59-4.1; 68-1; 74-1.3; 75-11.2; 75-11.3; 75-11.4; 75-11.5].
REG. 75-12 WITHDRAWAL OF APPLICATION.
By unanimous consent of the lodge, which does not require a secret ballot, an application for affiliation may be withdrawn by the applicant at any time before the report of the Committee of Investigation, but not after the ballot. [75-16.3; 75-14.1].
REG. 75-13 FEE FOR AFFILIATION.
A fee may be charged in any subordinate lodge for affiliation, but only if it is stated in its by-laws. [39-11; 44-7 (Art.11:1)].
REG. 75-14 ACTION ON ELECTION.
When any applicant is elected to membership, his demit shall be canceled, filed, and the lodge or Grand Lodge granting it shall be notified of the affiliation. [75-14.1].
1. If an application for affiliation is withdrawn or denied, the evidence of affiliation or nonaffiliation shall be returned.
2. If an application for affiliation is granted, the evidence shall be canceled and filed with the application. [75-3.2; 75-3.3; 75-14; 75-12; 75-16.1.D; 75-16.1.F].
REG. 75-15 Obsolete (This regulation amended, effective 1/1/2006)
REG. 75-16 MEMBER OF ANOTHER GRAND JURISDICTION.
A Master Mason belonging to a lodge located outside of North Carolina who wishes to affiliate with a North Carolina lodge and maintain continuously affiliation, shall proceed by one of the following methods.
1. He may file his Application for Affiliation accompanied by a written request or application to his lodge for a demit.
A. He shall attach to his application a dues card, or a certificate of good standing under seal of the lodge of which he is a member showing that he is under no charges and that his dues are paid for not less than four months in advance of the date of his application for affiliation together with his request or application for a demit.
B. He must be elected to membership in the lodge to which he has made application within ninety days after the date of his application for affiliation or thirty days before the expiration of his dues receipt card. (This section amended, effective 1/1/2011)
C. The Secretary of that lodge shall immediately certify the election of the applicant on the proper form. [Official Form 12].
D. The Grand Secretary will make his record and then send the request or application for the demit to the lodge from which the brother wishes to withdraw through the Grand Secretary of the proper jurisdiction, requesting that the demit be issued to consummate the membership, and that it be returned through his office.
E. When the demit is received by the Grand Secretary, he will complete his record and forward the demit to the lodge electing the applicant to membership.
F. If the applicant is rejected, or if he is not elected within the ninety days set forth in Subdivision 75-16.1.B above, his application shall be void and the receipt or certificate of good standing and the request or application for demit shall be returned to him. [75-14.1]. (This section amended, effective 1/1/2011)
2. He may file his Application for Affiliation accompanied by a provisional demit, a conditional demit, or a certificate of good standing issued by or under the authority of, and under the seal of a regular lodge under another recognized Grand lodge.
A. The conditional demit or certificate of good standing, shall provide on its face, that it is valid not less than four months from the date of the application for affiliation.
B. The conditional demit or certificate of good standing, shall provide on its face, that it becomes an absolute demit immediately and automatically upon the election of the applicant to membership prior to the date of expiration shown in said demit or in said certificate.
C. If the applicant is elected before the date the conditional demit or certificate expires, the applicant shall become a member of the lodge electing him as of the date of his election.
(1) On his election the demit or certificate shall be canceled and filed.
(2) A report thereof shall be made to our Grand Secretary within five days on Official Form No. 65.
(3) The Grand Secretary shall promptly report the election to the grand lodge under whose authority the said conditional demit or certificate was issued. [75-14.1; 87-18; Official Form 66].
D. If the applicant is rejected, the demit or certificate shall be returned to him promptly by the Secretary.
3. After a brother has applied to a lodge for affiliation under this Regulation and has been elected prior to demission, he may not withdraw his application for affiliation, even though his demit has not yet been granted. [75-12].
REG. 75-17 Obsolete (This regulation amended, effective 7/31/2000)
REG. 75-18 UNFINISHED MATERIAL.
The lodges of many grand jurisdictions issue demits to Entered Apprentices and Fellow Crafts. When any petitioner for advancement shall present with his petition a demit, issued by a lodge of a grand jurisdiction with which this Grand Lodge is in fraternal relation and properly certified by the Grand Secretary of that grand lodge, upon due proof of the identity of petitioner, the lodges of this Grand Jurisdiction shall recognize said demit and may entertain his petition for the remaining degree or degrees in said lodge.
1. The lodge shall remit no part of the fees fixed in its by-laws for the three degrees and shall pay to the Grand Lodge the fee required on initiates and for charity as provided in Regulation 20-1.
2. Any such petition shall take the same course prescribed by law for petitions for degrees, except that Regulation 71-7 will apply as to his physical qualifications. [49-10.1; 76-2.1; Chapters 68; 73; 74].
REG. 75-19 IMPROPER AFFILIATION.
A lodge improperly receiving an affiliate without demit, or proper lawful evidence of nonaffiliation, except as in Regulations 75-16 and 75-15, shall be liable for his dues and also subject to such punishment as the Grand Master or the Grand Lodge may determine.